Jar lifter



Patented July 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for lifting fruit jars or similar objects from boiling water during canning operations so as to eliminate the danger of burning or scalding the hands.

Itis, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a new and improved jar lifter especially designed for engaging the neck portion of a fruit jar in a secure and positive manner so as to enable the jar to 'be safely removedfrom a vessel containing boiling water.

Another object of this invention is to provide a jar lifter which may be operated by the thumb and fingers of one hand in a convenient and simple manner and at the same time to enable a positive grip action on the jar to which the lifter is applied.

A further object of the invention is to provide a jar lifter having a toggle action for closing the jaws of the lifter about the neck of the jar with means provided for maintaining the toggle operating bar in a centralized position when the jaws are in their open position to thereby facilitate the use of the lifter.

Another object is to provide a lifter of the type hereinbefore described which is simple and rugged in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction to be hereinafter shown and described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the jar lifter as applied to the neck of a fruit jar.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 2-2 in Figure l.

Figure is a cross-sectional view ci the litter taken along the line 3 3 in Figure l.

As shown in Figure l of the drawing, a jar lifter incorporating my improved form of design is applied to a fruit jar ill of conventional style having a neck portion l2 at the upper end thereof which is surmounted by a sealing lip I4 against which is forced a rubber sealing gasket It by a screw-type of lid i8. The jar lifter is provided with substantially semi-circular jaws 20 which are adapted to engage the neck portion I2 of the fruit jar beneath the lip ill, the jaws being forced firmly into engagement with the jar at that point so as to enable the same to be safely removed from the boiling water in which it is immersed. The jaws 2i] are secured by weld ing or other suitable means to the lower ends of arms 22 which constitute the ends of a torsion spring formed of resilient wire or similar matef Cil rial and coiled to form a loop 24. The arms 22 are, therefore, yieldably urged apart by means of the action of the torsion spring and `hence the jaws 20 are normally urged to` their open or inoperative position.

Near their lower ends the arms 22 are illattened as at 2S where they are perforated so as to accommodate rivets 28 which serve to pivotally connect the outer ends of a pair of toggle links 3d thereto. The links 3|] are pivotally connected to one another at their inner ends and also to a toggle operating bar 32 by means of a rivet 34. The bar 32 is formed with an eye 36 at its upper end so as to provide a nger grip by means of an upright or centralized position when the` toggle links 30 are in their straightened position and the jaws 20 are open.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The jar lifter is manipulated by the use of the thumb and preferably the first two lingers of one hand oi the user. The thumb is placed in the loop 24 of the torsion spring while the rst two fingers are placed through the eye of the bar 32, the jaws 2U of the lifter being held open and the toggle links 3u being maintained in their straightened position at that time due to the eiTect of the torsion spring which tends to move the arms 22 away from one another. The toggle operating bar 32 is held in its upright position by means of projections All bearing against either side of the bar so that the eye 351 is held in position to be conveniently engaged by the fingers of the user when the thumb is placed in the loop 24. The jaws 20 are then placed about the neck of the jar IU which is to be lifted and the thumb and fingers are squeezed together so as to pull the bar 32 upwardly, thereby breaking the toggle formed by the links 30 and pulling the arms 22 and the jaws 2i! together against the action of the torsion spring. Due to the mechanical advantage of the toggle linkage a very tight grip may be obtained on the neck of the jar by the jaws 2li with very little effort on the part of the user, and the jar may be safely removed from the boiling water without any danger of the jar slipping from between the jaws 2t.

Having thus described my invention in connection with one preferred embodiment thereof toggle links when the toggle is straightened andA` the jaws are opened including a projection on each of said links for engaging Said bar on'iopl posite sides thereof when the toggle is straight-V ened to thereby hold said bar in its centralized position.

2. A jar lifter device comprising a spring I formed of resilient wire land including a' loop'and aV pair of diverging arms, a jar engaging jaw secured to the end of each ofsaid arms, a pair of links pivotally connected tosaid armsff'an'd also to one another V*so "as to form a toggle joint between said arms, a `toggleoperating barpivotally connected to the center of the toggleiorrned hy said links, said barb'eing provided with an eye andsaid-spring loop and said eye being disposed adjacent to oneanother soA as to enable the loop `and the eye to be movedtowardone another bythe thumb andlngers of one hand of the user, and a centralizing'arrn on each of said `links extending Vsubstantially perpendicularly to Athe axis of thellink in a plane commento the* two links and adapted to maintain said toggle operating bar in a centralized position with respect to the toggle links when the toggle is straightened and the jaws are open to thereby facilitate the gripping of said loop and said eye by the thumb and fingers on one hand of the user.

3. In combination with a jar lifter including a pair of diverging arms, resilient means urging said arms apart, and jar engaging jaws at the end of said arms: a toggle mechanism'ccinprising a pair of links pvotally connected to one another VVand to said arms, and a toggle operating bar pivotally connected to the center of the toggle formed by said links, and a centralizing arm on each .of said links extending substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the link in a plane Acommon tothe ,two links, and located adjacent the 'pivotal connection between the two links, said arms being adapted to contact the toggle operating bar when the links `are in one extreme position.

` `ARTI-lUlt J. MALAVAZOS.

REFERENCES CITED Thefffollowing references are of record in the iile ofthis patent:

UNITED `STATES PATENTS LNumber Name Date 305,653 Anthony Sept. 23, i884 496,158 Henkie April 25, 1393 1,359,649 Allison NOV. 23,1292@ 1,682,373 vDavis Aug. 28, 192B 2,186,030 Lester Jan. 9, 1940 

